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Michigan State to play Penn State at Ford Field on Black Friday

Ford Field is hosting the Michigan State football team as they take on Penn State in Detroit the day after Thanksgiving.
Credit: Detroit Lions / Twitter
Exterior shot of Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.

DETROIT — The Michigan State Spartans will end their 2023 regular season in Detroit as they take on Penn State Nittany Lions on Black Friday.

The game, which was originally scheduled for Saturday at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, will now be played as part of a four-day football extravaganza at Ford Field in Detroit.

"This is a unique opportunity, for both our football program and our fan base, to play a Black Friday game at Ford Field," said MSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller.

"Southeast Michigan is home to 100,000 alums, nearly 50 percent of our student body and countless more Spartan fans. Our men's basketball team has experienced tremendous support in Detroit, both at Ford Field and Little Caesars Arena, and we're excited to bring Spartan Football to our fans in the Motor City," Haller added.

The four days kick off with the Detroit Lions hosting the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving, followed by MSU's game against Penn State on Friday.

Michigan State will play at 7:30 p.m. and the game will be nationally televised on NBC.

The weekend continues with two days of high school football championship games hosted by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) on Saturday and Sunday.

Michigan State's game pushed back the high school football games by a day as they are normally played on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.

"The MHSAA has enjoyed a long relationship with two of our best partners, Michigan State University and Ford Field," said MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl.

"Our athletes have incredible experiences both on the Michigan State campus and Ford Field with our championship events. Given the unique opportunities of this fall, the MHSAA was proud to play a small part in making the puzzle work with Ford Field, Michigan State Athletics and the Big Ten Conference, while still preserving all eight of our games on Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field," said Uyl.

Ford Field is slightly smaller than Spartan Stadium, with a capacity of about 65,000 as opposed to a capacity of about 75,000 in East Lansing.

Season ticket holders and student season pass holders will have their tickets and parking refunded for the originally scheduled match against Penn State in East Lansing.

Spartan Fund donors and 2023 season ticket holders will have the opportunity to buy tickets in Spartan Fund donor order.

Michigan State says that a ticket sale date will be announced in the near future.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the Big Ten Conference to host a game at Ford Field," said Detroit Lions President and CEO Rod Wood. "Thanksgiving weekend in Detroit is synonymous with football and being able to add a marquee Big Ten game only elevates the weekend."

Michigan State last appeared at Ford Field in 2010 when they defeated Florida Atlantic University 30-17.

The Spartans open their season in East Lansing against Central Michigan University on Sept. 1.

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